Hi, Solopreneur! 

Happy Wednesday, and welcome to issue #33 of Solopreneur Doorway, your weekly insight and inspiration to turn your skills into solutions people buy.

I appreciate you sharing the newsletter and helping me reach my first subscriber goal of 1,000 readers!

This week’s issue is a 4.5-minute read.

🛠 I Wanted to Buy Carpeting: Instead, I Picked Up 3 Premium Lessons on How to Remove Stains from Bad Customer Service

I had a disappointing customer experience last week. Yuck!

The adventure was a fresh and powerful reminder to nail 3 components in your solopreneur business.

• A winning strategy that separates you from everyone else
  

• A passion for your industry that energizes customers
  

• A compelling customer journey that helps your customers visualize, embrace and buy the remarkable transition your business provides

⚡️ Consider this:

• I’m helping my dad with a few home renovation projects. I know next to nothing about interior design and less about flooring and carpets.
  

• The flooring store rep arrived at the house with only a tape measure. The rep took no photos of the living room and kitchen and asked no questions about my dad’s likes and dislikes re: style, color, etc.
  

• The rep emailed my dad a pdf quote with pricing and a brief project description. There were no suggestions on ideal materials and no ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures to capture the process and transition. The rep asked us to visit the store for the next steps:

🙁 You can imagine my initial impressions, right?

Reluctantly, my dad and I made an appointment and visited the store to start phase 2.

Ugh…here’s where it all went south. Embrace these 3 steps so you can keep your clients engaged, smiling, and spending.

Create a Unique Strategy that Grabs Your Customer's Attention Like Taylor Swift at an NFL Game

Commodity businesses are, well, everywhere. Whether you’re a coach, consultant, designer, or trainer, there are more businesses like yours today than perhaps at any time in history.

As such, it’s essential that you determine how your business makes your customer’s journey easier, faster, and more impactful than that of your competition (hint: map it out like a simple flow chart).

🔑 Quick reminder:

A strategy is a series of decisions you make based on your hypothesis. If you do this, then you believe this will occur (the if-then combo is KEY in strategy).

There are no guarantees in strategy, which makes it uncomfortable, messy, and frustrating (this is your opportunity since others won’t create one).

The good news is that you can try different strategies in real-time and watch the results.

👉 Let’s help the flooring rep with a few ideas. Do you integrate similar steps or processes to put your strategy front and center?

Strategy Ideas for the Flooring Rep

Create a strategy that keeps the design process, implementation, and purchase moving at a friendly, yet swift pace.

• Ask the customer to pre-fill out a digital form that asks simple questions about the use of the rooms, style preferences, budget range, and timing.
  

• Arrive at the initial appointment with the form and have a brief discussion to clarify ideas and ask additional questions.
  

• Take measurements and multiple photos of the rooms (iPhone, iPad). Use software that then shows the customer, at this first meeting, a few ideas to illustrate the before and after images.
  

• Tell the customer that if they sign up for the store’s newsletter today, they will instantly receive a coupon they can use for the current project.

The key is to create a strategy for your business that is slightly different from your competition. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Be brave and introduce a few new steps that distinguish your process.

95% of your ideas may not move the needle. 5% will change your business in a BIG way. Customers will remember the 5% and share it with their community.

Of course, no strategy is effective unless you infuse it with your passion for your industry and the transformation your customers desire.

Create a Dynamic Presentation that Highlights Your Passion for Your Industry Like Oprah Winfrey Giving Away Free Cars

Customers come to you because something is broken, off-track or in trouble. If you can demonstrate empathy for their challenges, along with energy and charisma for your industry’s solutions, you have a BIG advantage.

Zoom calls, phone calls, and 1:1 interactions all require you to be energetic and in top form. If you’re an introvert (I see you), then practice with a friend, alone in front of the mirror, or while you’re taking a walk.

Phrases such as “I’m excited to partner with you” and “You’re going to love the final outcome” are contagious. Stay energetic about your industry, and the sale will take care of itself.

👉 Let’s help the flooring rep.

Enthusiasm Ideas for the Flooring Rep

• Send an email confirmation prior to the in-store appointment that demonstrates enthusiasm and energy for the next phase. I’d suggest a personal phone call. Voice-to-voice is 10 times more powerful when it comes to illustrating passion for a project.
  

• Include specific photos and ideas via email that generate excitement for the upcoming in-store appointment.
  

• Remind the customer of the great news that the newsletter sign-up coupon is 'active’ and will reduce the price of the project.

No one wants to rip up carpet, live in dust, and pay money to make it happen.

Instead, highlight the final result with smiles and spirit. Your energy will bring the customer along the path, and it’s essential that you close with confidence.

Build an Amazing Customer Journey that Thrills Your Client Like a Sensational Day in Disneyland with Mickey and Minnie Mouse

Your strategy and enthusiasm engage your customers and help them feel happy they chose to collaborate with you; yet, you’re not quite ready to celebrate.

The final stages of the customer journey are as important as bringing the dinner check on time to a table without making them wait 20 minutes. The last step(s) can make or break the process.

👉 Let’s help the flooring rep.

Final Customer Journey Ideas for the Flooring Rep

• Walk with the customer through the store and help them choose flooring and carpeting that fits their style, home, and use. Be as candid about what won’t work as what will succeed.
  

• Confirm the flooring and carpet the customer chooses are available, and then build a timeline for delivery and installation; allow for interruptions and assure the customer that problems and mistakes will reduce the final cost.
  

• Give the customer a physical folder with the relevant information (and images of the before and after) or send it in digital form. This keeps the honeymoon period in motion while the customer waits for the installation.
  

• If the customer wants time to think about it, then smile and say, “Of course.” Consider making another appointment at the house to confirm the choices and answer any questions. **Remember: Be passionate about your industry and solving the problem.

🔑 Your Takeaways

• Your winning strategy separates you from everyone else
  

• Your passion for your industry energizes customers
  

• Your ability to craft a compelling customer journey makes them love you and refer you

📣 Business Article of the Week

After watching the eclipse here in Rochester on Monday, I gained a new perspective and huge respect for nature’s spectacular gifts. The eclipse made me wonder if all the attention we’re giving AI is taking us away from our natural ability to get smarter, try new ideas, and implement new solutions.

👉 This article shares how AI is now getting more training assistance from, yep, AI.

Sure, AI is making our lives faster and easier in 288 ways. Yet, when it comes to our solopreneur adventure, we must keep reading books, trying new ideas, and getting in front of more customers who will tell us what works and what fails.

After all, if the customers don’t visit, it’s hard to grow a sensational business.

I believe in you. Keep up the excellent work.

Stay curious and keep opening doors.

-Erik

Whenever You’re Ready: 2 Ways I Can Help You

1. Your 1:1 Strategy Session: Let’s improve your business model and strategy. I’ll use my 14+ years of solopreneur and entrepreneur experience to listen, overhaul, and give you a new strategy you can apply.
   

2. A Free 30-Minute Exchange: Share the most pressing challenges in your business. I’ll provide you with immediate and actionable steps to improve your business model and strategy. In exchange, I would like to ask you a few questions about your solopreneur adventure so that I can improve my online offers. No sales.